“Be human. • Be aware. • Be honest. • Be respectful. • Be a participant. • Be open. • Be courageous.”
Brian Solis
By now, most businesses have some type of Facebook presence, but there is still a long way to go to be able to turn that presence into a tool to engage, build meaningful relationships and deliver value to your community.
Think of it this way: If a human walked into your place of business, would you say hello? Would you answer their questions? Would you say thank you when they gave you a shout out? Of course, the answer is yes. Guess what? That is exactly how we want to engage with humans on Facebook.
Engagement on Facebook is measured by the amount of Likes, Comments, Shares, RSVP’s to an event or Answers a Question you posted as a poll. You can see this “measurement” right next to your Likes number, it’s called “Talking About This.”
Here are 5 Steps To Increase Engagement 1. Post Consistently
The more consistently you post, the more likely you will show up in the News Feed and the more likely people will engage. Consistently means at least one post per day. Remember, you can plan your posts and schedule them, click here to see our post on how to schedule a Facebook post.
2. Post and Share Relevant Content Now I know what you are saying, what exactly does relevant mean? Well, you know your community better than anyone. And you know your brand, your story and your goals. If you are not sure, engage your team, think about your focus in your salon or business, and come up with some ideas around those focuses such as before and after images, team shout outs, inspiration, new products and services, etc. To learn more about content creation and curation, click here to view our webinar.
3. Respond to Comments, Messages and Posts to your Wall This is a biggie. Like I said in the beginning, if a human walked into your business, would you acknowledge them? Of course you would. Facebook is no different. Your community wants to know you are listening and you care. One way to show this is by being an active participant on your own page. Think about it. Click here to read our post on the importance of social customer care.
4. Make Use of Tabs for Online Booking and Events There are so many free tabs available to use on Facebook. And while many of them are not viewed as often your actual Timeline, they are there for a reason. Consider offering online booking, and be sure the platform you choose offers a Tab that you can easily install on Facebook. This way, your clients and potential future clients can make an appointment right on Facebook. Convenience at its finest and for sure a must do for the connected customer. We love Schedulicity for online booking, they offer all that and so much more. Click here to learn more and sign up. They have graciously given us a special offer we get to pass on to our community, a FREE 60 day trial. How awesome is that?
And remember, if you are having an Event such as a Grand Opening, a Product Launch, a Fundraiser, etc to make use of the Events tab. We have found it to be one of our most engaging Tabs.
5. Ask Your Community to Click on Get Notifications and Show In News Feed Many of us have heard about Facebook messing with what shows up in the News Feed. And yes, its true. Each social platform has a formula they use for search and discovery. So its our job to figure out how to “be seen” in spite of the formula so to speak. Now what we know for sure is if you do the four steps above, you will for sure be seen more often in the News Feed. However, there is a simple way to ensure your community sees your posts more often and gets notified when you post to your page. Click here to see our simple step-by-step on how to make that happen.
Where Am I Going To Find The Time?
So there you have it, 5 simple things you can do to increase engagement. So now I know what you are thinking; where am I going to find the time to do all this?
Here is my answer. Make time. Social business is our new reality, we can no longer choose not to engage. Well, actually, we can, but I would not recommend it. In order to grow, to become a more discoverable business, its time to re-think how we spend our time and what activities we are spending it on.
Make a commitment to spend 30 minutes a day on your social pages. That is it. And if you have to, wake up a half hour earlier. Schedule yourself in the salon. Do whatever you have to do. If you want it bad enough and it’s important to you, you will find the time. You always do.
One-On-One Mentoring
If you want to learn more about engaging in the social space and creating a plan for your business, I offer one-on-one mentoring to help you craft the ultimate plan. Click here to reach out and we will decide together if this is the right program for you. I look forward to connecting with you and helping you realize your dreams.
